Learn more about the language and culture of Mexico through the words and music of La Bamba - a tune that was sung and played hundreds of years before it appeared as a Top 40 hit. Listen to the song, then explore a series of lessons that link back to the vocabulary and grammar of the lyrics. Although this site is part of a "for a fee" site, there is a lot to explore here (for FREE). The sample lesson does require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

This searchable living history of Elizabethan England provides fascinating information about 16th century games, food, money, religion, fashion, and education. These individual glimpses combine to create a meaningful, non-political tapestry of life as lived 500 years ago. Add to a unit on Shakespeare or European history.

In the Classroom

Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of Elizabethan England. The site provides an array of knowledge about the life of the average citizen in that world, which could be used perfectly to recreate that life in your classroom! Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Have them design a themed party that will sport games, food and fashion from Elizabethan times - all of the information can be found on the site!

These interactive geography quizzes test basic spatial knowledge of continents and oceans, the United States, and countries throughout the world. Click on an area of the map to select a quiz. Great review activity.

In the Classroom

Use these quizzes to help students review either post-instruction or before an assessment. Have students complete the site on individual computers or as a class on the interactive whiteboard. Have a team competition as students use the site on an interactive whiteboard and try to see which group can complete it the fastest - and most correctly!

This teacher-created Web page, designed to support a unit on world continents, is filled with concise, kid-friendly information, maps, and photographs of the land, people, cultures, and animals found on each content. Just click on a location of choice. A safe and easy-to-navigate site for elementary research projects or Web hunts.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the images on this site during a geography lesson on the continents! Be sure to save this site as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval when searching for supplementary information or pictures.

Browse through this extensive collection of maps from 1500 AD to modern times and discover some incredible gems to supplement everything from a history lesson to a study of Shakespeare's plays. Start with the site's downloadable graphic organizer that guides students through map analysis. A series of questions and tips for interpretation accompany each type of map and help with understanding of orientation, legend, and scale.

In the Classroom

Use this site for a geography course, or in a world history course when discussing the importance of cartography and its many varieties. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector. Work through the examples as a class, highlighting the images and what can be observed in each. This is a great way to show students concrete examples of how maps are and can be used.

Learn about the land and culture of Mesoamerica with this engaging site that draws visitors into the ancient world of athletes and gods. After exploring maps and timelines, and learning about the elements of the sport, visitor can participate in a unique version of the Mesoamerican Ballgame - the most outstanding feature of the site. To play, students must enter correct responses to content-specific questions. Points are earned by choosing correct answers. Lose the game, and find out why this was know as "the sport of life and death!" Contains great material for a Web hunt.

In the Classroom

Use this site as a learning center or station during a unit on Meso-American history. Introduce the site on the interactive whiteboard before allowing students to explore it on classroom computers in their cooperative learning groups. This would be a great center in a World History course, primarily for Middle School grades.

This beautifully illustrated site explores the people, land, and culture of Patagonia. Visitors can investigate each of three thematic sections and experience the lives and landscape of this remote region through audio interviews and photographs. Click on the "Timeline of Patagonia" link to take an interactive tour through the amazing history of the region - from 9,000 BC to the present.

This extensive source, designed especially for elementary and middle school students, provides excellent information about the ancient cultures of the Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. An additional section explores 19th - 20th century sub-Saharan Africa. Images of museum artifacts from each region are liberally distributed throughout the site, along with some interactive maps, occasional videos, and games. The Teacher Resource section provides lesson plans (aligned to national standards), suggestions for integrating art into the social studies curriculum, and helpful tips on using the site.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the free lesson plans offered on this site! This site could also be used as a learning center or station during a unit on Ancient Civilizations. Because there is a lot of content, we recommend creating a guide or follow along for students to accompany the site. For help creating graphic organizers, try Graphic Organizer Maker, (reviewed here).

This is much more than a site about Auschwitz. In addition to presenting a portrait of one of Europe's most infamous concentration camps, the site explores the historical context in which Hitler and the Nazis rose to power and follows the chain of events that led to the development of mass extermination camps. There is much riveting and chilling information to be found in this resource - from interactive, captioned maps to reflections from victims and perpetrators.

CSM's Iraq election coverage emphasizes the role that tribal and regional histories will play in the push for political control at both the provincial and national levels as Kurds, Sunnis, and Shi'ites vie for their own share of power.

In the Classroom

While this is no longer a current event, this article does a great job of explaining the roots of the problems that continue to plague Iraq to this day. Either print or display the article to students on the interactive whiteboard or projector. (students could also read this for homework) Either way, this article provides enough background information that it could lead to an excellent discussion of the Iraqi conflict. Be sure help your weaker readers and ESL students by sharing the vocabulary words prior to reading, either on a handout or by projecting on an interactive whiteboard and highlighting them in the text as you come to them.

This Webquest challenges students, working in small groups, to read, share, and compare/contrast folk tales from different parts of the world. A printable chart is provided to guide the analysis, and a graphic organizer can be downloaded to help students organize their thoughts for the final activity - the creation of an original folk tale. Links to online fairytales are provided.

In the Classroom

Use this web-quest as a hands-on practice activity for students following a lesson on folk tales. Have students complete the activity in cooperative learning groups on classroom computers. Be sure to help your weaker readers and ESL students by sharing the vocabulary words prior to reading, either on a handout or by projecting on an interactive whiteboard and highlighting them in the text as you come to them. English teachers will like the interactive part of this site, and students always enjoy a chance to work on computers!

To make it more interactive, have students create and illustrate their stories on an online book-maker, such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Teachers can post the stories on the class webpage, allowing parents to get to see the finished products!

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on the interactive whiteboard as a review game post-instruction about the continents and world oceans. Separate students into cooperative learning groups and have a team competition over the interactive whiteboard to see which team can complete the map the quickest. It's a quick game, but students will definitely get into it and the repetition of seeing other teams complete it will make the activity more effective!

Drag each state to its correct position on the map. This interactive game keeps track of "average miles of error" and challenges students to learn more about names and locations of states. No hints are provided.This site requires FLASH.

In the Classroom

What a great way to have students know American geography better than physically moving the states in their places? Introduce this site on the interactive whiteboard before allowing cooperative learning groups to complete the activity on classroom computers. Have a class challenge as students try and compete to see which group can get the lowest average error mileage. This would be a great refresher before a US history class (particularly before a unit on the Civil War where state geography is important) or during a Geography class first learning the basics!

Take a virtual field trip though the pyramids, temples, and architecture of ancient Egypt. The most impressive feature of the site is a self-guided QuickTime tour through the Land of the Pharaohs that offers dozens of impressive 360 degree photos. Originally designed as a companion site to a NOVA program, the site could be the focus of a great computer lab activity for an ancient history unit.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the free lesson plans and classroom activities housed in the "classroom resources" portion of this site! This site would be great for ANY unit on Ancient Egypt, regardless of the grade level.

Search this virtual atlas by clicking on a continent, country, or region, or use the alphabetical "Map List" index. Geographic and economic information, current population, and state/national flags are also included with each map. Uses for this site go beyond basic geography. Project these maps in class during discussions of current world events. Available in Spanish.

In the Classroom

Use this map as a learning center or station when needed in a World History or Geography class. This could be a good way to review basic information about continents and oceans, or could be used for a more in-depth look of the geography of said countries. Be sure to save the site as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval later on!

This comprehensive site covers all aspects of the Berlin Wall, from its construction in 1961 to its symbolic presence today. History students can find outstanding information in the form of a timeline, facts and FAQs, a collection of memories from Berliners, and vintage photos.

In the Classroom

This site has a lot of resources that could be used in a class discussing the Cold War and how it specifically impacted what was East and West Berlin. For one, teachers can use the images to supplement a lecture or to prompt discussion. There are also eye-witness accounts in which people reflect on their experiences with either side of Berlin's wall. Open one of the transcripts on the interactive whiteboard or projector to share with the class. Have students respond in a reflection piece how a wall in the middle of their school, home or town would affect them and what their own reaction would be. This is a great way to tie the concept of the wall to something more personal and help them connect it.

The magnitude of the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean almost defies description, but this site offers a collection of first-hand and background information on the extent of the damage. It includes a number of pesonal blogs from people on the scene.

In the Classroom

This information could be used in a class focused on current events or for an Earth Science teacher looking for a practical example of the destruction that can be caused by a tsunami. Have students read the site on classroom computers, or out loud via interactive whiteboard.

Explore how myths and legends have taken visual form in the works of artists with this online gallery of 26 masterpieces from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Apart from the art, students can learn about what a myth actually is, and read about multicultural mythological themes. Includes a glossary, bibliography, and teaching materials.

In the Classroom

Use this site as a learning center or station during a unit on myths & legends. This would be a great introductory activity, as a lot of the content is defining and providing examples that differentiate the two. This would be a great resource for a Language Arts teacher.

This site presents thoughtful and inspiring ways for kids to take an active role in improving the community around them. Click on the "Take a Lead" link for practical ways to turn your ideas into reality. Plenty of real-life examples are provided, but some creative brainstorming in your classroom is a must. Dozens of lesson plans, covering everything from environmental issues to economics and human rights are provided in the "For Teachers" section.

In the Classroom

Introduce this site in a civics or government course in order to show students how important political awareness and activism can be - and how they can get involved. Dependent on your class, it may not be important to advocate that they join the cause - but more introduce it and let them know that they can. This might be better at the end of a civics course, culminating all the information they have learned thus far and showing a practical application of it.

Who were the very first Americans? This site explores evidence found by archeologists, examines artifacts found throughout the United States, and involves visitors in interpreting Stone Age tools. Includes interactive activities and a downloadable teacher's guide.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the free lesson plans located in the classroom activities section. (located in the teacher guide) These lesson connect the history lesson to biology and the study of genetic traits, a very interesting inter-disciplinary focus.